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Chapter 11: The Universal Form

Bg 11.45
TEXT 45
adrsta-purvam hrsito 'smi drstva
bhayena ca pravyathitam mano me
tad eva me darsaya deva rupam
prasida devesa jagan-nivasa
SYNONYMS
adåñöa-pürvam—never seen before; håñitaù—gladdened; asmi—I am; dåñövä—by seeing; bhayena—out of fear; ca—also; pravyathitam—perturbed; manaù—mind; me—mine; tat—therefore; eva—certainly; me—unto me; darçaya—show; deva—O Lord; rüpam—the form; praséda—just be gracious; deveça—O Lord of lords; jagat-niväsa—the refuge of the universe.
TRANSLATION
After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
PURPORT
Arjuna is always in confidence with Kåñëa because he is a very dear friend, and as a dear friend is gladdened by his friend's opulence, Arjuna is very joyful to see that his friend, Kåñëa, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can show such a wonderful universal form. But at the same time, after seeing that universal form, he is afraid that he has committed so many offenses to Kåñëa out of his unalloyed friendship. Thus his mind is disturbed out of fear, although he had no reason to fear. Arjuna therefore is asking Kåñëa to show His Näräyaëa form because He can assume any form. This universal form is material and temporary, as the material world is temporary. But in the Vaikuëöha planets He has His transcendental form with four hands as Näräyaëa. There are innumerable planets in the spiritual sky, and in each of them Kåñëa is present by His plenary manifestations of different names. Thus Arjuna desired to see one of the forms manifest in the Vaikuëöha planets. Of course in each Vaikuëöha planet the form of Näräyaëa is four-handed, and the four hands hold different symbols, the conchshell, mace, lotus and disc. According to the different hands these four things are held in, the Näräyaëas are named. All of these forms are one and the same to Kåñëa; therefore Arjuna requests to see His four-handed feature.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada